60 Years of Thredbo

Here are just some of the reasons why
Thredbo was voted the Best Family Resort
in Australia in the 2017 HWK Ski and
Snowboard Awards, writes Brodie Summers.

Thredbo. Just saying the name
conjures up images of snowy
memories that make me smile. A
place where thousands of kids
have learned to ski, and now take
their children to learn there. And in some
cases, even their children’s children are now
part of that shared history. So why not make
it part of your family’s history too?

1. The mountain

Thredbo has a great mix of terrain with the
biggest chunk – 67 per cent – dedicated
to intermediate skiers. The 14 lifts make it
easy to access the various ski areas, from
the brilliant beginner area at Friday Flat
to the fun intermediate runs in the Cruiser
area up to the more challenging runs off the
Kosciuszko Express chairlift. This season,head up to the top of Karels T-Bar and ring
the special 2037 Bell that has been put in to
celebrate Thredbo’s 60th. It is the highest
lifted point in Australia at 2037 metres, so
has magical panoramas over the resort.

The 2017 season will also see some new
play and adventure zones for kids only,
designed around Thredbo’s mascot
animals, Syd the Koala and Wally Wombat.
The snow bunnies will really love exploring in
Syd’s Cubbyhouse and Wally’s Snow Cave.

2. The lessons

Thredbo’s Snow Sport School has an
exceptional ski school programme for kids
from three to 18, with youngsters starting off
in the legendary Thredboland programme,
before moving on to the Thredbo Freeriders
and then Club Freeride. There is child care
for kids from six months. There are also
learn to ski or board programmes for adults,
meaning that parents don’t have to sit on the
sidelines. If your child wants to snowboard,
Thredboland even offers the Burton Riglet
Park programme for mini shredders from
four to six. This season there will be new
Max3 Snowboard Sessions in the terrain
park for advanced and intermediate
snowboarders – perfect to help your
motivated teen nail a different trick and
improve their skills.

3. The terrain parks

Speaking of terrain parks, Thredbo has four
of them for riders and skiers of different
levels of experience. There’s the Easy Does
It Introductory Park on Friday Flat, Squatters
Run Introductory Box Park, Cruiser Beginner
& Intermediate Park and Antons
Intermediate and Advanced Park.

4. The family activities

There is plenty of fun to be had on and off
the snow at Thredbo. Go on a snowshoe
tour, build a snowman, go tobogganing or
get away from the snow altogether and go
for a swim at the fantastic Thredbo Leisure
Centre. New this season is winter disc golf
– a bit of fun if you need a break from skiing.
A Thredbo highlight for families is
watching the flare run snake down the
Supertrail on Saturday evenings. Advanced
skiers and riders can even join in – you just
need to sign up at Valley Terminal. After the
flare run, look up and be mesmerised by the
fireworks creating a spectacle of colour and
dazzle against the majestic white glow of
the mountains.
Family fun nights at Friday Flat are also a
favourite with kids loving to show off their
new skills to parents, plus there is twilight
riding, a kids’ fibre optic flare run, music, fire
pit, food and beverages and more.
Then there is the Snow Play Park, which is
the place to go for snowman building,
snowball tossing, tubing and tobogganing.

5. The accommodation

The choice of places to stay is vast, with
apartments, lodges and hotels all available.
There are some ski-in, ski-out options, with
many others dotted up the hill from the
village and easily accessed by the free
shuttle bus. The views from up here are
crazy good. There are also plenty of
fabulous dining options both on the
mountain and in the village. Black Bear
is always a winner with families as is
Cascades, Central Road 2625 and Bernti’s.
On mountain, Black Sallee’s at the top of the
Snowgums chairlift is excellent for refuelling
or for a hot chocolate.

This article appeared in volume 10 of Ski & Snowboard with Kids magazine. To subscribe to the latest issue, click here.